MoM MRR Growth

MoM MRR Growth (%) =

Net MRR (This Month) - Net MRR (Last Month) / Net MRR (Last Month)

MoM MRR Growth Definition

For software companies operating under monthly subscription revenue models, monthly recurring revenue (MRR) is a critical metric, used to measure predictable, recurring revenue. Month over Month (MoM) MRR growth is a measure of forward momentum, market traction and business expansion. MoM MRR Growth is calculated by subtracting Net MRR in the current period from Net MRR in the previous period, and dividing that figure by Net MRR in the previous period. Net MRR is calculated by adding Expansion MRR (increasing monthly recurring revenue generated through a current client) to New MRR (monthly recurring revenue contracts beginning in the current period), and subtracting lost MRR or “Churn” (MRR lost in the period due to the cancellation or non-renewal of contracts).

Guide to KPIs & Metrics

Sign up and get 5 minute KPI lessons delivered to your inbox every day.

MoM MRR Growth Example

In August a subscription based software firm generates Net MRR of $550,000. In the month of September the same firm adds $100,000 in New MRR, upsells current accounts to a tune of $50,000 in Expansion MRR, and loses $20,000 in Churned MRR. In this case, MoM MRR Growth would be calculated as:

Therefore, from a pure revenue standpoint, we can say that this company is growing at a monthly rate of 23.6%.

MoM MRR Growth Benchmarks

There are no definitive SaaS benchmarks for MoM MRR growth, however a number of general targets and rules of thumb have been suggested for SaaS companies of different sizes, at different stages of growth. Here’s some expert advice and rules of thumb:

Tomasz Tunguz, Venture Capital, Red Point

15 - 20% MRR growth is a “reasonable good target for post-Seed/pre-Series A SaaS startups to aim for”.

Double digit MoM MRR Growth, on average, “is always good once you hit some traction.” More specifically Jason suggests that to “build something big...you have to at least have the potential to go from $1m - $100m in ARR in 7 - 10 years”. To achieve that result over 7 years you would need to grow MoM MRR at compounded rate of 5.8%. “The best SaaS companies get from $2 - $10m in 5 quarters or less”, says Lemkin. This implies a compounded MoM MRR growth rate of 11.5%. In general, Lemkin says, SaaS company's achieving MoM MRR growth of 20% are outliers; 15% Mom MRR growth is “Frickin Awesome” and 10% MoM MRR growth is “strong”.

Companies generating MoM MRR growth of 15-20% at the Series A investments stage “are well positioned for a successful Series A raise at a really favourable valuation”.

MRR Growth Challenges

Identifying the drivers behind MRR growth (or lack thereof); is it market traction, abnormal sales or creative accounting? Figuring out what’s driving MRR growth is important so you can focus your energy and resources.

When you’ve reached “initial traction” of around $1-2m in ARR, consider talking about year over year growth instead of month over month growth - “there’s no strong rationale for that, but I think if you’re talking about longer periods of time, year over year growth is more intuitive to understand”.

Be mindful of where you are in your business life cycle when setting MRR growth targets: “the problem with an exponential growth assumption is that for early-stage startups it makes short-term goals too easy and longer-term goals too hard”.

“it really doesn't matter how long it takes you to get to that first $1m or so, Initial Traction. Some get there fast. Some take years. It doesn't matter. So long as you don't quit, get exhausted, or run out of capital.”

Have a repeatable sales process: “If a company can hit 15-20% MoM growth for 6+ months, it’s likely they have figured out a sales process where the levers driving sales are repeatable. Nothing excites Series A firms more than writing a $2-5 million check for sales and marketing where the time-to-close, acquisition channels, and sales processes are tested, profitable, and scalable.”

How to monitor MoM MRR Growth in Real-time

Once you have established metrics for measuring MoM MRR Growth, you’ll want to establish processes to monitor this and other SaaS KPIs on a continual basis. Dashboards can be critical in this regard.